Side Effects of Prozac :: Antidepressants Depression Essays

Side Effects of fluoxetineUnlike earlier forms of antidepressants, such as MAO inhibitors, Prozac and other SSRIs tend to produce a few(prenominal)er and slight severe side do (Hockenbury, 200). According to Prozacs manufacturer, Eli Lilly (2005), side effects caused by Prozac whitethorn include nausea, difficulty sleeping, drowsiness, sickishness, weakness, loss of appetite, tremors, prohibitionist mouth, sweating, or yawning. Other side effects listed included a change in sexual desire or satisfaction and a formation of a rash or hives. Eli Lilly (2005) states that these side effects generally go international after a few weeks of usage and are not honest enough to discontinue use of the drug. Other side effects of Prozac reported by PDRhealth include unnatural vision, itching, flu like symptoms, gas, sinusitis, and raw(a) throat. Less common side effects reported included abnormal taste, bleeding problems, chills, ear pain, fever, frequent urination, high blood press ure, loss of memory, palpitations, and band in the ear. The most common side effects reported in controlled study of patients receiving Prozac, and those receiving a placebo, patients receiving Prozac more frequently reported experiencing anxiety, dizziness, lightheadedness, nervousness, insomnia, drowsiness, fatigue, tremors, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, abnormal vision, decrease in libido, rash, sweating, and abnormal ejaculation (American Hospital Formulatory Services, AHFS, 2002). Of these patients, 15 percent had to discontinue use of Prozac. The main reason reported for discontinuance was the onset of anxiety, nervousness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and rashes. Fluoxetine tends to remain in the metabolic system for sometime, and because of this either adverse side effects may take a few weeks to dissolve after discontinuation (AHFS, 2002). Side effects reported by patients receiving the weekly dose of fluoxetine in delayed-release capsules, reported relatively th e corresponding side effects as those taking a daily dose. Although, problems with lore and diarrhea were reported more frequently with the delayed-release capsules (AHFS, 2002).The percentages of patients experiencing adverse side effects of Prozac are as follows twenty percent experience headaches, club percent felt anxious or nervous, fourteen percent experienced insomnia, four percent reported drowsiness or fatigue, six percent experienced tremors, and one to two percent reported adverse affects to the nervous system such as confusion, agitation, abnormal dreams, and sedation. The majority of these effects may be caused by the dosage a patient receives, and few patients in each group discontinued the use of Prozac (AHFS, 2002).